I passed a Blue Tit I the hedgerow whilst I only heard the Chaffinch that was broadcasting. A Carrion Crow rose from the ground and glided inland. Both cow pat and Field Mushrooms decorated south field. It was a sea of pale Tor Grass that was tickled by the breeze in Saxon. It was a Woodpigeon that flew in a near circuit before landing in another part of the scrub canopy of the upper gully. Holly and Ivy provided the only leaf cover but there were enough bare stems to see a passing Magpie.
I welcomed entering the shelter of the downland “valley” in Field 3. The sound of several Skylarks rang out from the meadows. A duo in flight appeared to be Greenfinches, however, it took one to land for me to be sure. Below, the perching finch there was 1, 2 then 3 culminating in 6 Goldfinches being active at knee height about me. Thereafter I heard the “tzee” call of a Greenfinch, but it took a discussion with others to confirm this. Reaching the coastal ridge, I saw a brown sea with many wavelets and St. Albans head in the distance.
Another Magpie fly but this time passing over the meadows with something pale in its beak. I peered into the due pond but could see no activity due to its “milky tea” colour. I stepped over a one-foot diameter Spear Thistle basal rosette. A pale discarded Garden Snail shell was wedge between Ivy stems that snaked about a Hawthorn.
Later I was surprised to find one Hawthorn stem wearing some opened leaves and few blossom flowers amongst downland scrub. Between Hoggets and Eight Acres a male Stonechat was spotted perched in Blackthorn alongside the dry-stone wall. I passed gates that knocked as they slightly open the closed, against their hook catches, in the wind. Odd Elder bushes were seen to have begun opening leaf buds. Racing past in close flight was at least a Raven and another unidentified bird that it was perusing. The birds parted and a Raven duo went a rested upon the coastal ridge looking seaward down the gully. Goosegrass, Nettle and Stinking Iris showed fresh growth at the edge of protective Bramble cover.